Comptroller Kevin Lembo has announced he will resign at the end of the year due to an ongoing medical condition. He will resign, effective Dec. 31.
Lembo’s office said he has been diagnosed with a serious and debilitating cardiac condition that has recently been worsening. A statement from his office said that after repeated consultations with a team of cardiologists, it was recommended that Lembo not continue working.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Connecticut as state comptroller,” Lembo said in a statement.
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“Over ten years ago, voters took a chance on a gay, vegetarian nerd that had never run for office in his life. I’ve worked every day since to represent this office with honesty, integrity, and a focus on the common good. Even now, I love the work that I do and the people I work with. Unfortunately, my health simply won’t allow me to continue to serve,” he went on to say.
Lembo previously served as Connecticut’s Healthcare Advocate.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together during my three terms in office,” Lembo in a statement. “We’ve made Connecticut a model for government transparency, instituted innovative changes in the state health plan to lower costs while improving patient care, and wrote the plan that has led to record savings in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. While I’m disappointed that I’ll be unable to complete this term, the work that’s been done in the last 11 years has made Connecticut a better place to live, work and raise a family and that’s why I wanted this job in the first place. I feel confident that whoever follows me in this position has all the resources in place to continue this work and build on our successes.”
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“Thank you to my spouse Charles, our three wonderful children, our families, the incredible staff of the comptroller’s office and the countless others who have made this work so rewarding and so impactful,” Lembo said in a statement.
Gov. Ned Lamont called Lembo a friend and a true partner in efforts to help the state.
"It is with incredible sadness that we receive this news," Lamont said in a statement. "I can only imagine how difficult it is for Kevin to make the decision to step down from a position that he loves and that he energetically campaigned to fill. Throughout his entire public life, Kevin has dedicated himself to looking out for others, and in his time as comptroller, he has been committed to righting the fiscal ship of Connecticut and fighting to implement policies that tame the state’s revenue volatility and bring financial stability."
Democratic State Chair Nancy DiNardo released a statement about after Lembo announced his resignation.
"Kevin Lembo’s service to Connecticut has been remarkable and his resignation is a huge loss to the state. He came here from New York and jumped into public service as the state’s first Health Care Advocate and for the past 11 years as Comptroller, fighting for transparency, smart budgeting and health care," DiNardo said in a statement. "Kevin is a colleague and a friend and his voice will be greatly missed in the public arena. We wish him the very best as he focuses on his health.”
